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Topic: The Bro's Early Show Interview (Read 5160 times)

Click hereThey said they were hours behind and chased goats around for 30 or 45 minutes ..to many wrong turns .They said Gretchen & Meredith are Awesome , talked about the accident and how L&A stopped to help and Romber just zipped on by ..the camara men had a few bruised discs in his back and the sound guy had some cracked ribs .Some of Phils reactions to the Bros outfits {l{ Priceless !

A relationship falls apart on ''The Amazing Race'': Traveling with Kelly through the African desert, Ron seems to be missing that Iraqi prison; meanwhile, the other couples grow closer by Josh Wolk

The Amazing Race posed an interesting philosophical question: If a couple with zero chemistry splits up, does it count as heartbreaking? I'm referring of course to Ron and Kelly, whose relationship has the combustibility of wet socks.

They never seemed to have much of a spark. It appeared to be a relationship of necessity: Beauty queen Kelly needed an escort, and ex-POW Ron was just happy to be around someone who wasn't calling him an American dog. They were like Romeo and Juliet — if Shakespeare hadn't come up with the whole ''warring families'' angle and had fallen asleep halfway through writing act 2.

I knew the adversity of the race wasn't bringing them closer together last week, when they came in first: Kelly gave Ron the kind of polite hug and peck on the cheek that pageant queens robotically give when they get the key to the city from the mayor of Craptown. On this episode, Kelly confessed that to strengthen their strained relationship, she was reading a passage from the Bible and substituting her name for the word ''love.'' I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the episode she had moved to a more secular tome and inserted Ron's name in Green Eggs and Ham. She does not like Ron in a box, she does not like Ron without socks, she does not like Ron at a bash, she does not like this redneck trash!

The Race producers clearly wanted to indicate Kelly's annoyance with Ron, but there wasn't much in her expression to indicate that she was that annoyed. We would get these quick zoom-ins to her face while angry, dramatic music crescendoed, but she looked totally unfazed. Even the explosive moment when she thought Ron told her to ''shut the F up'' and she called him a redneck seemed oddly disconnected. The whole thing sounded and looked strangely edited, as if words were pulled out of disparate sentences and shuffled around to create the illusion of an outburst. And the illusion of a personality.

Granted, Ron did seem a bit prickly. He kept picking at her about bailing out of the head-balancing challenge, even though he didn't seem to be faring very well, either. But then again, he was a POW. That's like an automatic ''Get out of blame free'' card. During the presidential election, we all saw what happens to people who are perceived, rightly or wrongly, as not supporting the troops. So good luck taking Kelly's side; you might as well change your name to Uday.

At the end, Ron and Kelly were barely speaking. Ron said that they were ''starting to get up under each other's skin — finally!'' which leads me to believe that either Ron just saw Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and utterly missed the point or he has desperately been looking for an out. As for Kelly, she said that she hoped to help their relationship by putting the Lord first. Oooh, sorry, Kelly: God's busy right now trying to help Jerry O'Connell's brother get lucky on The Bachelor, and then he's got to help Tonya get some on the Real World/Road Rules Inferno 2. But as soon as that's done, he'll be right over to sort out your love life.

Meanwhile, the other teams are just getting pulled closer together. Uchenna and Joyce had a relatively smooth ride; their botching of a task (by pulling a ribbon off a post instead of taking the whole post) didn't upset their standing at all. And Lynn and Alex stayed calm even through two car breakdowns. I admired Lynn's supportive words to Alex that even if they lost, he had done a great job. So much so that I will choose not to negatively interpret his statement that Uchenna and Joyce were ''born'' to carry objects on their heads.

As for Gretchen and Meredith, it's impressive that they're still hanging in there. Gretchen looked awful for this leg, all bruised, battered, and filthy. After the abuse she took last week, I cringed every time she came onscreen, expecting more disasters. When she and Meredith were driving through the back country, I was convinced that she was going to fall out the car door and have her head stepped on by a passing elephant. And then Phil would drive by, make her give him her shoes for coming in last, and then speed off again as the vultures started circling.

And of course, Rob and Amber kept calm and had the audacity to seem like they were having fun, which must make Lynn and Alex's heads explode like their car tires. But the most touching teammates were the ill-fated brothers, Brian and Greg. I still don't know who was who, but they really seemed to have a good time and enjoy each other's company. Maybe Kelly should look to them for guidance: They're not God, but they give each other really cool handshakes. And as the man says, dudeliness is next to Godliness.

What do you think? Are any of the teams growing on you? Do you like it or hate it when the show focuses on bickering couples? And could your relationship survive The Amazing Race?

To post comments to this article, you must be an EW Subscriber, EW Newsstand Buyer, or AOL Member. Please log in or subscribe. (Posted:04/06/05)

Brothers bounced from 'Amazing Race'They were funny, positive, and easygoing, but their good attitudes and wacky fashion sense weren’t enough to keep brothers Brian & Greg from last place and elimination last night on “The Amazing Race.”

After spending a night on moon-like terrain, teams ripped open their clue to discover their next task: drive 141 miles (227 kilometres) to Sankuyo Village and find the next clue under a water tower. Oh, and one minor little detail: drive through the town of Maun on the way.

On their way off the mat, most teams took a moment to talk about their relationships and their various strengths and weaknesses, except Uchenna, who brought up his African heritage. Oh, and Lynn & Alex, who (gasp!) harped on other teams.

Kelly said she had been reading the love chapter of the Bible. Ron said he has been reading maps of Iraq. Rob said he has been reading How to Win Friends and Influence People. Guess which one of the last three sentences is true. Hard, isn't it? They all sound so plausible.

On the way to the water tower, some teams were delayed by the usual road animals. You know, cows and ostriches. And surprise, surprise, some teams didn’t read their clue carefully: Meredith & Gretchen and Brian & Greg neglected to drive through Maun. The brothers wasted valuable time puttering around and even climbing up the wrong water tower.

DESTINATION: SANKUYO VILLAGE, BOTSWANA

At the correct water tower, teams found a Detour: Carry It or Milk It. Rating: A

In Carry It, teams crossed 70 yards (64 metres)while balancing three items (one at a time) on their heads. The items included a plastic bucket of water, a basket of corn cobs, and a bundle of firewood. To imitate the African village women who do this every day, racers had to complete the task without using their hands to hold the items in place. In Milk It, teams milked a goat until they had filled a 10-ounce cup.

This Detour was good because it incorporated local culture and neither task was an obvious better choice. The tasks on this Detour were different enough so that teams had a tough time deciding which was more advantageous for them: a task that didn’t look too hard but required balance and patience, or a task that was tedious and involved an animal—an uncontrollable factor. This was the first Detour this season that resulted in numerous teams switching back and forth between tasks.

Ron & Kelly, Rob & Amber, and Lynn & Alex all initially chose to milk, changed their minds to carry, and then finally settled on milking when they realized how unbalanced they were. Heh, unbalanced.

The milkers showed their teamwork skills: Rob held the cup as Amber pulled, Meredith & Gretchen milked simultaneously into their team cup, and Lynn held the goat’s leg up as Alex milked.

Amber noted that she and Rob consistently use teamwork, in contrast to Ron & Kelly. Rob added that Kelly didn’t want to get her “pretty little hands dirty” while “my girl [Amber] got in there and got the job done.”

After finishing the task, Ron & Kelly received the next clue: drive 21 miles (about 34 kilometres) to the Khwai River. Rob & Amber were close behind, followed by Uchenna & Joyce, Meredith & Gretchen, Lynn & Alex, and some time later, Brian & Greg. On the drive to the riverbank, teams saw wild elephants, zebras, hippos, giraffes, and even a warthog running across the Botswana terrain, making this leg one of the most fascinating to watch—if only the racers got out of the way.

On the way to the river, Lynn & Alex’s car sputtered to a stop. Stranded in the middle of the savannah, they called for a replacement car. Some bad luck there, but at least something like that can’t happen more than once a leg, right?

DESTINATION: KHWAI RIVER, BOTSWANA

Teams pulled up to the muddy, crocodile-infested river to find the Roadblock: Who’s ready for a real roadblock? Rating: A

Time for a little off-road racing. One team member had to drive the team’s vehicle straight through the river. Once on the other side, each team had to drive down a separate path, encountering two trees apparently knocked down by some elephants (at least, that’s what host Phil would like us to believe). The trees had to be cleared with the help of the vehicle. Only then would teams be free to continue the race.

Excellent Roadblock—and possibly the first time on “The Amazing Race” where the Roadblock involved actual road obstructions. The task featured the Botswana terrain and involved some hard work—plus, teams got to drive straight through a river. Definitely one of the better tasks.

Ron & Kelly were first to arrive at the banks of the Khwai, Ron taking the task for Team America. Close on their heels were Rob & Amber, with Rob at the wheel.

Amber noted that this task was perfect for Rob with his construction background. Proving her right, he wasted no time making short work of the fallen trees.

Nearby, Ron also got to work under the watchful, anxious, and critical eye of Kelly, who used every opportunity to keep Ron posted on Rob’s progress. Eventually Ron had enough of the Rob report, and he asked Kelly to “chill for a minute.” In Kelly-speak, this apparently means “shut the f*ck up.” Naturally, this set Kelly further on edge, and the preview-promised “You’re a piece of trash redneck” comment was fired at a confused Ron.

Soon, both teams were done and in a race for the Pit Stop, the Khwai River Lodge 9 miles (roughly 14 kilometres) away.

First to arrive at the mat, for the third time this season, were Rob & Amber. Waiting for them at the Pit Stop was, as always, host Phil, a friendly local greeter, and a fantastic vacation for two, this time on the French Riviera. Maybe Rob & Amber can swing by after they enjoy their previously-won tour of London.

Meanwhile, back at the Roadblock, Uchenna & Joyce and Meredith & Gretchen were tackling the obstacle course. Uchenna & Joyce finished first and arrived confidently at the Pit Stop, only to be sent back for not completing the Roadblock. Looking confused and hurt by Phil’s rejection, they headed back to the Roadblock and realized they’d forgotten the stick that had marked their course. They retrieved it and came back to the Pit Stop, still in third.

Meredith & Gretchen, on the other hand, had correctly completed the Roadblock but showed up at the Pit Stop missing their final clue. Phil, instead of being impressed with their brilliant navigation skills, asked “Now how did you guys know how to come here?” like mothers who ask questions to which they already know the answers. As in, “How did the mud get on my newly waxed linoleum?” Sheepishly, they admitted to simply following the road markers, and a stern Phil sent them back for the clue.

Back at the Roadblock, Lynn & Alex were waiting for yet another replacement car. Seems that Alex, by his own admission not much of a stick-shift driver, had driven his team to a flat tire. Soon, with a new car (and, presumably, the Botswana Auto Association not far behind) the couple was off to the Pit Stop. So, whatever happened to that rule for replacement cars only for teams who broke down through “no fault of their own”?

The boyfriends, fearing a non-elimination leg and a last-place finish, were surprised to come in fourth. Arriving soon after them were Meredith & Gretchen, still in the race at fifth.

Unable to escape last place, Brian & Greg finally arrived to start the Roadblock. Once done and anticipating a last-place finish, the brothers decided to go for a memorable exit (or, should they encounter a non-elimination round, risk running the rest of the race in scarves and swim trunks). If all else failed, they hoped to dazzle Phil with their excellent fashion sense and thus escape elimination.

Unfortunately for the brothers, Phil prefers guys with lots of clothes on--even gay ones--and their Icelandic-stripper look was not enough to change his mind. Brian & Greg, the final family pair left in the race, were sent packing. At least they were ready for the pool.

TEAM RANKING

Rob & Amber—FIRST Performance rating: A Amber pronounced her and Rob the “two luckiest people in the world.” We second that emotion. They won a third trip, despite some first-place teams not winning anything this season. Top marks for their teamwork and giddy excitement at seeing all the African wildlife.

Ron & Kelly—Second Performance rating: C+ Team Bland is finally starting to crack, though listening to Ron one would think that it’s no big deal. In fact, his “we’re starting to get up under each other’s skin—finally” comment seems to imply that he’s actually enjoying the rising tension. Must be a POW thing. One thing is certain: the bickering is starting to affect their race. They changed their minds twice at the Detour, wavering between both options. Not a good race strategy. Though Kelly offered to “squeeze” the goat and even pulled the goats to their milking station, she was generally a princess (or perhaps beauty queen?) on this leg. And though Ron wasn’t horrible to her, he was definitely dismissive. He couldn’t let go of her inability to balance the bucket. It’s the chicken and the egg thing. Would she be more aggressive if he weren’t so dismissive, or would he be less dismissive if she were more aggressive? Dr. Phil, we’re waiting to hear from you. The “chill for a minute”/shut the f*ck up” exchange shows how she feels he feels about her. She clearly sensed his lack of respect for her, even turning to the camera to point out how he pointed out everything she did wrong. Unfortunately, this immature act did nothing to help matters. She tried to make it look like she was the good one, the one who didn’t belittle her partner. Maybe calling someone a trash redneck is a compliment where she comes from.

Uchenna & Joyce—THIRD Performance rating: B+ They were the only racers to complete the carrying Detour. More importantly, they rocked it. Uchenna and possibly even Lynn & Alex seemed to think the married couple’s African heritage had something to do with it; a better bet is Joyce’s huge hairdo and Uchenna’s huge…head. Also, Uchenna was incredibly encouraging to Joyce, who had a bit of trouble carrying the bucket. One problem: despite starting this leg 21 minutes ahead of Meredith & Gretchen, Uchenna & Joyce arrived at the Detour after the older couple, who had even driven off course for a short time. If this team does not learn how to navigate better, then they are going to find themselves navigating their way home. Also, minus points for failing to read their clue thoroughly, though kudos for not panicking. They didn’t even lose their third-place position after backtracking.

Alex tries to outwit Phil with layers. (Photo: courtesy CBS.com)

Lynn & Alex—FOURTH Performance rating: B Lynn was surprisingly supportive and positive on this leg. Even when it seemed that elimination was nigh, Lynn’s cup was half full (and not with goat’s milk). They even planned ahead: knowing that the new rule for last-place teams on a non-elimination leg is to have everything taken away but the clothes you’re wearing, Alex pulled on as many of his and Lynn’s clothes as he could manage. Their Pit Stop reaction was classic. As Phil told them the good news, they asked in the exact same incredulous tone at the exact same time while leaning forward in the exact same way, “What?!” And then they dissolved into giddy babbling about clothes.

Meredith & Gretchen—FIFTH Performance rating: B Gretchen continues to play the part of the embarrassing grandma you don’t want your friends to meet—you know, the one that’s always talking about threesomes and goats with “nice big teats.” Classy! The oldest couple left in the race is still hanging in there, barely escaping elimination yet again. They raced well this week, efficiently milking the goats and moving the trees, but they’re still prone to making those careless mistakes. This leg’s gaffe was not taking the time to carefully read the clues, leading to mistaken water towers and, well, missed clues. Maybe not critical mistakes on their own, but these things do add up.

Brian & Greg—LAST Performance: B+ Though they started the leg hopefully (“big bucks, big bucks, big bucks, no whammies!”) and only 10 minutes behind Meredith & Gretchen, the brothers simply couldn’t make up for their last-place finish in the previous leg. But if it hadn’t been for one avoidable mistake, they might have survived to race another leg. Sloppy clue-reading led to the water tower confusion—where did it say to climb the tower!? Plus, they wasted precious minutes at the end of the leg, dressing (or rather undressing) for their Pit Stop arrival. Sure, it was funny, and totally in character for these two, but who knows how far ahead the other teams were? They may have missed a chance to pass a team and avoid last place. Extra credit for rocking both the Detour and Roadblock, shooting out one-liners the entire time. And at least there’s an upside to their elimination: now that they’re out of the race, the brothers have plenty of time to hook up with those blondes from a few weeks back.

Next time on “The Amazing Race”:

Tonight: the always thrilling clip show!

Next week: Kelly fine-tunes her passive-aggressiveness by disagreeing with Ron but following anyway. And Meredith & Gretchen become local heroes, cheered on by an entire town for no apparent reason.

TRAVEL LOG

Approximate distance travelled: 275 kilometres

Destinations: Africa

Botswana: Sankuyo Village (after driving through the town of Maun), Khwai River

Humvee-crashing brothers/actors Brian and Greg Smith, the latest pair booted off of CBS' "The Amazing Race," donned vintage 1980s swim trunks covered in Trapper Keeper graphics for their elimination in Africa. Because it doesn't get any hipper than that, Bad LANGuage called the Smith boys to see where we could get a pair and if they'd kiss and tell about their relationship with blond babe team Megan Baker and Heidi Heidel. Here's what they revealed:

Bad LANGuage: Your swimsuits were awesome. Where did you get those?

Brian: I got those down on Melrose in Hollywood from a little thrift store. They're coming back.

BL: Yeah, that's gonna be the look for summer, I think. So did you guys know you were going to be booted?

Greg: We started off the leg last. We were only eight minutes behind when we started, but we took a wrong turn right off the bat. When you're in the bush, it's kind of hard to make up ground. You can't really ask anybody for directions because there's nobody out there. We went for 45 minutes the wrong way. It put us about an hour and a half behind.

Brian: We didn't see another team the whole time we were out there, and it was super duper frustrating. We just knew. When we got to the Roadblock, they had all been completed. All the clues were gone.

BL: What if it had been a non-elimination round? With the new rule where Phil takes all of your stuff, you would've been stuck in Africa in your swim trunks.

Greg: It would've been great. The way we got lost, we deserved to freaking wear swimsuits for the rest of the race.

BL: What did you guys think of Rob and Amber?

Brian: We didn't focus on Rob and Amber. They were just another team. They didn't talk to us. We didn't talk to them. We didn't sweat Rob and Amber. We didn't think anything of them.

BL: What about when you wrecked your Humvee and they just drove by?

Brian: It kind of showed how they were when they drove past us and didn't even roll down the window to see if we were OK. It looked like a bomb had hit our car. I think at that Pit Stop they might've been a little embarrassed because they didn't even come up to us. All the other teams were around us and they knew Rob and Amber didn't stop and ask if we were OK. They kinda just stuck to themselves and didn't say anything.

Greg: We're friends with every other team except them. We didn't really get to know them.

BL: Your cameraman looked banged up after the crash. What happened to him?

Greg: We had a makeshift crew with the people that were surrounding us. The sound guy picked up the camera and a producer, I think, picked up the sound mic.

Brian: We saw him on one of our flights back to the sequester city. He was fine. He had some bruised discs. I think he actually filmed the last two episodes.

BL: So the old team Meredith and Gretchen beat you. How did that feel?

Greg: It looks like Ron and Kelly argue with one another, and they were the nicest people on the race. Alex and Lynn were freaking hilarious. They were nonstop entertainment. Uchenna and Joyce were super friendly. And Meredith and Gretchen were like our parents at the Pit Stops.

Brian: And we definitely got along with Megan and Heidi.

BL: Riiight. Brian, what's going on with you and Megan post-"Race"?

Brian: Megan and I are still friends. We hang out a lot. We're not really dating but, you know, we have French kissed. That's about all I can say.

BL: That's it? You've French kissed? Wow. I don't know if that's even first or second base.

I also think this proves Rob and Amber are not in the sequester house. That could mean nothing becuase sometimes 5th place does not go to the sequester house sometimes it does. I know that Kami and Kali, Nancy and Emily, and Lori and Bolo never went to sequester but i know Millie and Chuck, and Gary and Dave did. not sure bout JV and Jill

Greg: It looks like Ron and Kelly argue with one another, and they were the nicest people on the race. Alex and Lynn were freaking hilarious. They were nonstop entertainment. Uchenna and Joyce were super friendly. And Meredith and Gretchen were like our parents at the Pit Stops.

This is interesting...the spoiler about ron and Kelly said the the brothers said something to Ron...could it have already happened or at sequestorville?

Never let it be said that Brian and Greg Smith didn't leave The Amazing Race (Tuesdays, 9pm/ET on CBS) in style. Before crossing the finish mat in Africa, the California brothers decided to doff all their clothes except for swimming trunks and winter hats, just in case this was a nonelimination leg. "It would have been great if we'd had to wear those for the rest of the race," Brian laughs. Sadly, the unlucky duo joined the rest of the season's Philiminated contestants. Here, they discuss why they weren't able to catch up with the pack — and what's going on in their post-Race lives.

TVGuide.com: Exactly how far behind were you guys? It was surprising that you weren't able to catch up, considering all the problems the other teams were having.Greg Smith: We started off about 10 minutes behind and thought we had a good chance of catching up. Driving away from the place where we slept, there was a left turn and a right turn. Before we [departed], Brian had seen one team take the left turn, so we decided to go that way without really thinking about it. The thing is, we never saw them turn around and go right. So we took that left turn and kept going for about 45 minutes. Once we realized our mistake, it was another 45 minutes back, which put us about an hour and a half behind. Then we climbed the water tower and had problems with the goats. We actually tried the balancing challenge first, because we thought it would be quicker — we made it two steps and gave up. Then, when we finished the roadblock, all the clues were gone, so we knew going to the mat that we were the last team to arrive. We didn't see another team the whole day.Brian Smith: It was frustrating because we felt like we had some momentum going after avoiding elimination on the previous leg. But getting lost just threw everything off. There wasn't even a lot to that leg — just driving to the detour and roadblock. It was really simple. So we were pretty bummed.

TVG: You did have a spectacular finish in the previous week's episode in South Africa, though. That final dash belongs in the TAR Hall of Fame.Greg: Yeah, that was great to watch and great to be a part of.

TVG: It must have felt especially good after experiencing that car crash.Brian: That was crazy, man. I was driving the car and we were right behind Ron and Kelly, just cruising along. We probably would have passed them at the detour and come in first that leg. But the road was rocky and the car slipped off, hit a patch of sand and just started sliding. I tried to turn the wheels to get back on the road and we flipped over. I thought we were done for sure. Plus the camera guys were hurt, and we were concerned about them. We also didn't know if we'd get a car in time because we were so far away. We were down, but we weren't going to give up. We knew we could catch up on a detour and it turned out we chose the right detour. We also knew if it came down to a leg race in the end, we could definitely beat any team that was in front of us — and we did.

TVG: Boyfriends Lynn and Alex stopped to help you guys, but Rob and Amber drove on by. How did you feel about that?Greg: First off, Lynn and Alex were great. If they hadn't stopped, I don't know if we'd have been able to take care of an injured person ourselves. Plus they had people in their car who could help us out. Right after they stopped, Rob and Amber came by, and they didn't even slow down. I wasn't very happy about it, but that's the way they run the race.Brian: It was so cool of Lynn and Alex to stop by because they didn't need to do that. And it was typical of Rob and Amber to fly by. Even after we got to the pit stop, they didn't come up to us to say "Sorry we didn't stop" or "Are you guys OK?" Everyone else was coming around asking us if we were OK and they didn't seem to care.Greg: They might have cared, but they didn't show it. I think they were just embarrassed.

TVG: So that was par for the course as far as their behavior on the race?Brian: We got along with every team out there except Rob and Amber. I can say up front that I know everybody on the race, to some extent, except for them. They weren't very social. They definitely didn't interact with some of the teams and they never interacted with us.

TVG: Early on, it looked like you guys hit it off romantically with Megan and Heidi. Has that continued since the race ended?Brian: It was kind of weird, that first night when we had to sleep on the beach in Peru. Megan and I started talking and we really hit it off. She lives out in L.A. and so do I, and I thought, "Hey, there could be something here." I didn't go on the race to find romance or anything; it just kind of happened. We really just kind of clicked. So Megan and I are still friends right now. Nothing serious, but I see her a lot out there.

TVG: What else has been going on in your lives?Brian: Well, I'm doing some standup comedy right now. I performed at the Ice House last week and also at the Rainbow Room. I've also got a sketch comedy group that I got Greg involved in. There are nine of us and it's hilarious. We've sold out every show so far. I haven't used any of the race stuff for my jokes. I kind of do the old bachelor jokes about being a single guy.

TVG: I'm sure you get this a lot, but I was rooting for you guys because you reminded me a lot of me and my brother. Did having that bond make it easier to run the race?Greg: Definitely. We stopped arguing with each other when we were 16 or 17 years old. I can take anything he dishes out at me and, 10 minutes later, I'll forget what he just said because I don't really care. We knew that bond wouldn't break because we're best friends and we've lived and worked together. And we've got all those little handshakes going on.Brian: Yeah, we've got "the bump," "the bump explosion" — we've got them all down. And they are always evolving. [Laughs]